Is there anything worse than having an itch that just can’t be found? You know the one where your body tells you that you have an itch, but no matter how far and wide you scratch, it can’t be found. About one of the most infuriating things to go through.
Author: Dave
Crispy Chicken and Mandarin Salad
Martina and I found a recipe a few weeks ago, slightly tweaked it for ourselves and what we have is this incredible salad, that’s very good for you and that we don’t tire of. Here goes:
Is it that hard to understand “water”?
Waitress: And what would you like to drink?
Me: Just water, please.
Waitress: Er, I’m sorry, what was that?
Me: Water…
Waitress: Is that on the menu? Can you show me?
Me: It’s just water. Water. Water. H2O. Water.
Waitress: *blank stare*…
Me: *sigh* Woddah
Waitress: Oh, water! Yes, certainly.
Lifts and chivalry
It is not chivalrous to stand awkwardly at the front of the lift to let the women squeeze by you and get off first. It’s idiotic. If you’re not in the way, then by all means let the women off first, but if you’re in the way, then use some common sense and get out of the way.
Customer service: the right way
I’m in the process of relaunching The WP Butler and when I do, I plan on codifying my customer service charter, based on an article I recently read by a company called Fog Creek, identifying the things they do to make their customers insanely happy with their products. These had already been many of my guiding principles, but it’s good to note them down and make them “policy”, as I will be doing soon.
Don’t interrupt thinking thinkers
As I was writing my last blog post, I was interrupted by someone who just wanted to have a quick chat and make small talk to break up the morning. She does this on a somewhat regular basis, peering over the cubicle wall and staring at me, waiting for me to recognise her, even though she can see that I’m deep in thought and have my headphones on.
Society commands that we stop in our tracks and respond to the person who is addressing is, which is part of the reason that Jason Fried thinks that offices are so unproductive. Despite being in the middle of a sentence, I had to stop, take my headphones and engage her in her own desires for communication.
Ken Robinson discusses the current state of education
It is always a pleasure to listen to Ken Robinson speak. He’s one of my favourite orators and even though his delivery is very calm and controlled, it always stokes a fire inside of me. In this talk, he discusses the current state of education and how the culture of schools is failing the children that attend them. In particular, the emphasis on standardised testing and “No Child Left Behind” are ironically, leaving millions of children behind.
Insist on changing the current school culture and filling the gaps created by your child’s education: it’s critical to well-rounded children who enjoy learning who go on to be independent thinkers and creators.
Little kitten gets scared of bearded dragons
This is amazing. Obviously you feel sorry for the poor guy, but his Matrix style moves make him legendary.
Everybody ia a genius
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
-Albert Einstein
A good reminder that our tongues hold immense power. This kind of thinking will drive how Martina & I encourage our children: they will be built-up, not torn down.
Shaping your workspace and environment for productivity
Jason Fried discusses how the very places that were meant for productivity and work (offices) are in fact very detrimental to our ability to perform. A lot of very good points about how to tweak your workspace (whether you work for a corporation or for yourself) to improve your productivity and ability to work.